Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 10 May 2012
164 Deputy Maureen O’Sullivan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will outline the benefits to Irish fishermen from the Common Fisheries Policy; the way the 18% quota is organised; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23607/12]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe main potential benefit of the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) system for Irish Fishermen is that it provides a system which aspires to the structured and sustainable management of international fishing activity in each of the key areas of interest to Irish Fishermen. In addition, it provides stable arrangements for access to the large EU seafood market for the large volume of Irish seafood products which the Irish fishing industry exports to EU markets. There has been traditional dissatisfaction in Ireland with the share of the relevant total allowable catches which Ireland secured at the outset of the CFP.
The share Ireland received of the quotas available at the outset was determined on a system of relative stability, based on historical fishing patterns in the confines of set management areas. That system has continued since and was not changed in the CFP Reform's of 1992 or 2002. There is no support in the Council for a change in the traditional quota allocations in the current Reform either and the Commission has not proposed any changes.
However, under CFP arrangements agreed in 1976 a system of so called Hague Preferences was put in place, under which Ireland gets an enhanced share of certain key quotas on which we were traditionally dependent, if the share falls below certain set levels. The CFP Reform Proposals envisage retaining this system in the way that it has operated previously.
Securing enhanced fish quotas for Ireland and enhanced fish landings into Ireland however remains as an objective, but must I believe be delivered within the structures in place. For example, over the last two years Ireland has secured, by working within the system, a very significant two thirds share of the new and very large Boarfish Fishery. This Fishery which will permit Ireland to catch 56,666 tonnes this year holds the potential to build a large new processing industry in Ireland, developing human consumption seafood products for exports. On my recent trade mission to Ireland I promoted the products from this new fishery to the large Chinese seafood market and Irish processors are now on foot of this sending out trial samples to the Chinese market. Similarly, this year on foot of initiatives taken by the Irish pelagic processing industry with State support, we have seen very large levels of landings of blue whiting into Killybegs for processing from Norwegian vessels. This gave a substantial boost for the Irish Seafood Processing industry generating increased employment in the North West.
The other way of increasing Irish fish catches and landings into Ireland is by growing the stocks on which we are dependent and which are proximate to Ireland. By growing stocks we increase our permitted volumes of landings even within a fixed sharing arrangement. The Quota increases secured in this way in the Celtic Sea this year are clear evidence of the gains that can be secured through this approach. There is much in the CFP Reform, such as long term management of stocks, reducing and eliminating discards where possible and rebuilding stocks to Maximum Sustainable Yield , which holds the potential to substantially increase catches by Irish fishermen in the short and medium term. One aspect of the CFP Reform Proposals, which I have vehemently opposed since the outset and which I want removed from the proposals is the proposed system of mandatory transferable fishing concessions, which would privatise the National Fish Quotas and pose real dangers to Ireland's fishing and processing industries. By working hard within Council and with the Commissioner I believe we are making substantial progress in getting support for our position on this key aspect of the CFP Reform from Ireland's perspective.
